Chapter 9
Chapter Outline
God blesses Noah, and grants flesh for food. (1–3)
Blood, and murder forbidden. (4–7)
God's covenant by the rainbow. (8–17)
Noah plants a vineyard, is drunken and (18–23)
mocked by Ham.
Noah curses Canaan, blesses Shem, prays (24–29)
for Japheth, His death.Verses 1–3
The blessing of God is the cause of our doing well. On him we depend, to him we should be
thankful. Let us not forget the advantage and pleasure we have from the labour of beasts, and which
their flesh affords. Nor ought we to be less thankful for the security we enjoy from the savage and
hurtful beasts, through the fear of man which God has fixed deep in them. We see the fulfilment
of this promise every day, and on every side. This grant of the animals for food fully warrants the
use of them, but not the abuse of them by gluttony, still less by cruelty. We ought not to pain them
needlessly whilst they live, nor when we take away their lives.
Verses 4–7
The main reason of forbidding the eating of blood, doubtless was because the shedding of blood
in sacrifices was to keep the worshippers in mind of the great atonement; yet it seems intended also
to check cruelty, lest men, being used to shed and feed upon the blood of animals, should grow
unfeeling to them, and be less shocked at the idea of shedding human blood. Man must not take
away his own life. Our lives are God's, and we must only give them up when he pleases. If we in
any way hasten our own death, we are accountable to God for it. When God requires the life of a
man from him that took it away unjustly, the murderer cannot render that, and therefore must render
his own instead. One time or other, in this world or in the next, God will discover murders, and
punish those murders which are beyond man's power to punish. But there are those who are ministers
of God to protect the innocent, by being a terror to evil-doers, and they must not bear the sword in
vain, Ro 13:4. Wilful murder ought always to be punished with death. To this law there is a reason
added. Such remains of God's image are still upon fallen man, that he who unjustly kills a man,
defaces the image of God, and does dishonour to him.
Verses 8–17
As the old world was ruined, to be a monument of justice, so this world remains to this day a
monument of mercy. But sin, that drowned the old world, will burn this. Articles of agreement
among men are sealed, that what is promised may be the more solemn, and the doing of what is